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Count Meets the Duke

Wynton Marsalis, Vincent Gardner, and Rodney Whitaker – all current or former members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra – join a group of handpicked young artists to perform the music of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Kansas City’s Count Basie Orchestra remains a standard-setting example of a hard-swinging big band, with iconic soloists, infectious tunes, and the eternally envied “All-American Rhythm Section” of Jo Jones, Freddie Green, and Walter Page. Duke Ellington, too, was an extraordinary bandleader, as well as a genius composer of incalculable influence. Throughout its incredible variety, Ellington’s music has a timeless quality and unmatched ability to uplift and enlighten, offering an ideal showcase a big band’s nuance and cohesion. The rising stars in tonight’s band are in early stages of what will surely be exciting musical careers, and each has earned a spot on stage through deep dedication. When the Count meets the Duke, it will be an inspiring multigenerational exploration of the jazz canon’s core. Free pre-concert discussion nightly, 7pm.